Cushioned vehicle wheel



" W. M. DECKER CUSHIONED VEHICLE WHEEL File-'d A112. 20, 1923r.Hill/Iliff Zul/eid@ m Ams,

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTg OFFICE.

WILLIAMMORE DECKER, on BUFFALD, NEW YORK.

f CUSHIONED VEHICLE HIEEL.

Application filed August 20, r1923. Serial No.'6`58,27160.

To ZZ whom t Vmay concern)A n Be it known that I, VILLIAM 'MoineDnoirnn, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Burl-alo, in thecounty of Erie and State'ot' New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements. in Cushioned Vehicle Vfheels, ofwhich the following is a speci-` is free from the well yknown`objections of pneumatic-tired wheels and at the same time possesses thenecessary degree of resilience to absorb the shocks and jolts incidentto travel over uneven roadways.

Another objectot the invention is to provide a cushioned wheel havingsimple land convenient means for adjusting or regulating thecompressionof the cushion or resilient member and taking up wear.

In the accompanying drawings, vFigure 1 a side elevation partly insection ofa vehicle wheel embodying my improvements. Figure 2 is atransverse section thereof on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Similar characters of referenceyindicate corresponding parts in bothviews. y

The rigid body-portion of the wheel may be of any suitable construction,but preferably comprises a metallic hub or thimble 10 carrying a pairkof spaced parallel disks or plates 11, 12. One of these disks, say theinner disk 11, may be formed integral with the hub, as shown in Fig.2,'while the other disk 12 is removably mounted on'the hub and heldthereon by a clamping nut 13. Said, removable disk is suitably heldagainst turning on the hub, for example, by providing the latter withone or more flattened sides 14 which engagea correspondingly shaped boreof the ldisk.

Confined and supported between the disks 11, 12 is a circular resilientcore mem ber or cushion 15 which is preferably constructed of rubber andsomewhat smaller' in diameter than said disks. To reduce the weight ofthis cushion, as well as increase its resiliency, it may be providedwith transverse perforations 16` of any suitable size, shape and number.It is tobe undei.

stood, however, that these perforations are optional and may beomitted,- if desired.

Encirclmg the cushion and concentric therewith isA a channel-shapedmember consisting of a baseaing 17 and parallel sideV plates or rings 18which abut `at their inner sides against the opposite edgesy of said`base-ring and whose inner edges are sub-` stantially flush with theinner face of the latter, as shown in Fig. 2. Thischannelshaped memberis confined between the disks 11, 12 and the outer sides of its plates18 bear against `the opposing inner sides of said disks. The inner endsof the spokes '19 are seated inthe' base-ring 17 and securely held inplace by transverse bolts or rivets 2O whose heads are Hush with theouter faces ot the `plates 18.- The outer ends of the spokes are securedto the rim o r felly 21 in the usual manner and applied to the latter isa tractio-n member preferably consisting of a solid rubber tire 22 heldthereon by locking'rings 23 or any other suitable or well known means.

Means are provided for adjusting or regulating the cushioning action ofthe resilient core or cushion 15, according to the load borne by it orother conditions which affect the riding qualities of the wheel. Forthis purpose, the preferred means include an adjustable band or ringcomposed oftwo opposing semi-circular sections 2li, 24, constructed ofspring steel or other appropriate material, which encircle said cushion,being arranged between the latter and the opposing concentric face ofthe base-ring" 17, as shown in Fig. 1. The opposing ends of theseband-sections meet in overlapping joints and may be tapered for asuitable distance, as shown at. 25, to form a smooth, Hush joint. In theexample shown, the adjustment of said band-sections toward and from eachother to compress or permit expansion of the cushion, is effected byradial adj listing screws 26 which may be located between adjacentspokes, and which extend through the basc-portions'of the spokes andthreadedopenings 27 in the ybase ring 17, the inner ends of said boltsabutting against the outer faces of the band-sections. In the drawings,

four of such adjusting-screws are shown, j

two of which are located opposite the joint- Cil ed ends ot theband-sections, while the other two are located substantially equidistantbe.- tween the two lirst-named.

By this arrangement of the adjusting' devices 2G` uniform adjustment ofall portions ot the band-sections 2l, 2l can be readil)Y et- 'fectedwith a correspondingly equal and nni iorm compression or expansion etthe cushion l5, permitting' the latter to be regulated in accordancewith the load imposed on the wheel.

To prevent oreepae'e or slippage et' the resilient'hub-ring.15 on themetallic hub l0, said hub-ring' is suitabl)T interloeized therewith, forinstance, by providing' the hub with one or more lugs or projectionswhich enter corresponding grooves or recesses in the hub-ring:A bore.

VEhe improved vehicle wheel is tree trom pneumatic parts `which areliable to become punctureth it possesses thel necessary resilience forcomfortable and easy riding', and it is serviceable under all conditionswithout thev exuense and annoyance incident to the,I use oitpneirmatictires.

It is obvions7 that while the invention is herein shown as applied to azspoke-wheel, the-same is' also applicable to Iwheels of the disk type.

I claim as my invention:

l. cushioned wheel` comprising` a hub, a cushion surroundingsaid hub, arigid annular member surrounding said cushionr` an adjustablebandinterposed between said cushion and said rigid n'lember, and adj nstingde vices carried by said rie'id member and engaging said adjustableband.'

2; A cushioned wheel, comprising' a hubl a rim7 a cushioning memberinterposed between said hub and said rim, a sectional band encircling'said cushioning; member. and means for adjusting' said band-sections toexpand or Contact said cushioning member.

A cushioned wheel, comprising a huir a rim, a cushioning` memberinterposed be* tween said 'hub and said rimv a rigid member spaced .tromand encircling; said c zshionini member7 a sectional spring-band appliedto the. latter in the space between it and said rigyjid member, andadjlisting-screws carried by said rigid member and engaging; saidseetional band.

it. eushionedwheel, comprising' a hub. a rim, acushioning memberinterposed lie-- tween said hub and said rim7 a rigid member spaced fromandencircling' said cushioninf?Y member, and means -for adjusting); the.compression of said cushioning' member. including a pair of opposingsubstantially semi-circular band-sections applied to the cushioning'member 'in the space between it and said rigid member` and radialadjusting-screws carried by said rigid member and engaging saidband-sections.

5. A cushioned vwheeh comprising a hub carrying spaced disks, a rim, aring; encircling the `hnbiand arranged between said disks', ineansconnecting' said ril J; with said rim7 a cushion of rubber applied tosaid hub between said disks, a sectional spring-band inierposed vbetweensaid cushion and said ring@ the opposing ends ot said band-*sectionsmeeting` in ,overlapping joints` and radial adjusting screws passingthrough said ring' and abutting' lagainst the sectional band at pointsopposite and inte-rinediate the joints thereof.

. WiLLmM Moi-in nneirll

